Extemporaneous Speaking, Speech Analysis, or Emphasis & Intonation

Extemporaneous Speaking, Speech Analysis, or Emphasis & Intonation

Please respond to one of the following questions:

Question A

For this week’s discussions, I want everyone to put their thinking caps on and give me two examples of public speaking that you see every day.

What makes your examples unique? What impresses you about the speaker or what turns you away? What can you tell us about the speaker’s style? Intonation? Language and expressions?

And lastly – I want you to start thinking about extemporaneous speaking (make sure you read this week’s lectures). This is a speech that is delivered without the aid of notes and is a smooth, dynamic performance that incorporates research, background knowledge, humor, and opinion. A successful extemporaneous speech has an introduction that catches the listener’s attention and previews the areas to be discussed (sometimes referred to as the ‘menu’), explores the topics in the body of the speech using examples and real-life scenarios, and concludes with a thorough summarization that ties everything together. This is what I’ll be looking for in this week’s speech!

Question B

For our next speech analysis, we’ll take a look at J. Douglas Jeffreys, MCP, and his keynote presentation.

The context for this speech is completely different than the orator from Week 1, however I do want you to evaluate what this speaker does well, and what he does poorly. Also – compare this video to the presentation you saw in Week 1. What’s the same? What’s different (besides the obvious, like location, purpose, etc.) Evaluate this video as if you were giving this presenter a grade.

Please watch this short video, then share your thoughts and reactions in the discussion board.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/whTwjG4ZIJg

Question C

I’m going to ask you to conduct a brief exercise outside of class before you respond to this discussion question.

Let’s try a quick exercise on intonation and emphasis. I want you to look into the mirror and say the following sentence three times, but each time emphasizing a different word.

“I have never seen anything like that before in my life.”

• The first time you say it, emphasize ‘never‘.
• Then, emphasize ‘anything.’
• Then, emphasize ‘life.’

How does the meaning, the impact, the message of this sentence change – just by placing emphasis on a different word?

What does each sentence mean, based on where the stress is placed?

Give it a try and post your reaction to the discussion forum. Will this help you be more cognizant of your emphasis and intonation moving forward? Why or why not?

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